Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I want to join with the Taoiseach and Deputy Kenny in expressing my sympathy and the sympathy of the Labour Party to Mary Phelan and to her family on the death of Senator Kieran Phelan.

I was extremely shocked when I heard the news this morning of Senator Phelan's very sudden death. He was somebody who we all met and knew around the House here, and talked to, passed various comments with and so on.

In particular, I want to express sympathy with the Taoiseach and, indeed, with his colleagues in the constituency of Laois-Offaly who would obviously have known the late Senator Phelan better than most of us. The loss of a colleague is always a very sad occasion, but the loss of a colleague in such sudden unexpected circumstances is a double blow. I just simply want to express my sympathy with his wife, family, friends and particularly his political colleagues, including the Taoiseach.

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